Awareness and attitudes regarding Helicobacter pylori infection among university students:a national cross-sectional survey

Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)infection is one of the most common chronic bacterial infections all over the world.University students are a group with strong comprehensive ability.Their cognition and behavior can exert great impact on society.However,up to now,reports on the awareness and attitudes regarding H.pylori infection among university students are scarce.This study aimed to survey dietary,habits,knowledge,and attitudes towards H.pylori infection.A total of 5794 participants,including undergraduates,postgraduates,and doctoral students,were recruited from the top 100 universities in China.A selfconstructed questionnaire was used to assess the knowledge and attitudes of students toward H.pylori infection and its impact.In our study,most of the population preferred dining in the canteen(69.6%),whereas 20.6% chose restaurants or takeaway.Up to 24.1% of the respondents had at least one lifestyle habit associated with H.pylori colonization.Almost half had at least one digestive symptom related to H.pylori infection.Most students were aware of its association with gastritis(84.4%)and peptic ulcer(86.6%).However,only half of them were aware of its association with gastric cancer(57.9%).Furthermore,only 14.1% of the respondents had been tested for H.pylori,and 25.1% of them tested positive.The H.pylori-detection rate was higher in Hunan province compared with Guangdong and Jilin provinces.Regarding knowledge of H.pylori,65.4% of the respondents had known about it,and 24.3% correctly answered all questions.When comparing the acquisition of H.pylori knowledge between tested and untested students,32.5% of the tested participants answered all questions correctly,which was significantly higher than the untested group(13.1%).There was no significant difference between genders in H.pylori knowledge and detection.University students are highly educated population.If they were fully aware of the harm of H.pylori infection,their parents,friends,and even future families would benefit,thus reducing the incidence of H.pylori infection,as well as gastric cancer and healthcare finances.This survey not only investigated but also spread the awareness of H.pylori among university students,which is of great medical,economic and sociological importance.